Trade 'dire' at tourism business and retailers struggle as Omicron spreads

Friday, 4 March 2022

A prominent Invercargill tourism business says trade is dire, and many retailers have seen a drop-off in customers as Omicron spreads in the community.

Transport World executive director Jocelyn O'Donnell said the surge in Omicron cases had “definitely had an impact” on her Bill Richardson Transport World, Motorcycle Mecca and Dig This businesses, with people continuing to be wary about going out.

“This week at Dig This Invercargill, for instance, we don’t have a single booking. That takes a toll on the whole team.”

The Transport World businesses had built momentum up to early 2020, but it had been a massively difficult two years since Covid-19 arrived and the borders closed.

“In all honesty, it’s been dire,” O’Donnell said.

Her three tourist businesses had seen a decrease of about 30 percent in visitor numbers and she expected February to show an even greater decline.

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She was grateful for the support of Southlanders, but said without HW Richardson Group behind them, they would have closed.

The arrival of Omicron in the community had also seen retailers feel the pinch.

Buy NZ Made executive director Dane Ambler said small New Zealand businesses were feeling the impact of widespread Covid in the community and reduced foot traffic in city centres.

'We’ve urged people to shop local since the start of the pandemic, and we are now seeing a significant number of businesses on the edge.”

The worst hit sectors were tourism, hospitality and retail and they needed the public’s “full support”.

Most retailers spoken to by Stuff said trade had been down since Omicron arrived.

Gore’s Go Retail spokesman Doug Grant said its streets were quiet with lots of empty car parks.

“Some of the elderly and more vulnerable [people] are staying away from town, and the farming community isn’t coming in as much any more. It’s a heightened awareness of Omicron in the community,” he said.

He believed businesses would be down on trade compared to the same time last year.

Gore’s Cafe Ambience owner Janice Paterson said her business never slowed down, until now.

“We have noticed a huge down turn, people just aren't coming out.”

People seemed to be frightened despite the public being “highly vaccinated”, she said.

Invercargill retailers were also feeling it.

Julie Bryce, owner of Julie Bryce Fashion Emporium in Kelvin St, said her business had never been quieter in 30 years, and she believed the Omicron outbreak was mostly to blame with people nervous about going out and getting the virus.

And Roz Waldron, manager of Whitcoulls in Invercargill’s Esk St, also said Omicron’s arrival had slowed business in the past fortnight, with people wary about going out.

The chair of the Neighbouring Retail Group in the Invercargill CBD, Ben Fokkens, said trade had been affected at cafes and restaurants as a result of many CBD office employees working from home.

The owner of Shoe Clinic, Fokkens said shoppers were only entering his store to buy, not browse, and business was going “quite well”, with his biggest issue being stock delays.

H&J Smith chief executive John Green shared a similar sentiment, saying there had been a reduction in foot traffic through the store but sales figures had held up surprisingly well.

Sales had been “a wee bit slower” since the arrival of Omicron.

Southland Chamber of Commerce chief executive Sheree Carey said the country was not in lockdown and people could still “safely support local.”

She encouraged those people shopping online to “shop online local”.